Cuomo, Kearns Goodwin coming to UAlbany

The New York State Writers Institute is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a fall slate of high-powered visitors including Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, novelist Don DeLillo and veteran TU columnist Fred LeBrun. (Check out the full schedule here.)

Political junkies, however, will want to check out the pairing of former Gov. Mario Cuomo and best-selling author Doris Kearns Goodwin on Monday, Nov. 16, at Page Hall on UAlbany’s downtown campus..

Abraham Lincoln is at the center of the authors’ most recent work: Cuomo’s 2004 “Why Lincoln Matters: Today More Than Ever” and Kearns Goodwin’s 2005 “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.”

Correction: The previous headline on this post suggested that the duo would be discussing Lincoln at their appearance. While it’s a good bet that Abe will come up, the real purpose of their visit is a celebration of the Writers Institute, which Cuomo signed into existence in August 1984.

In 1984, Governor Mario Cuomo signed into law the legislation creating the Writers Institute. Since then the Institute has hosted over 1,000 visiting writer appearances, screened over 400 films, and presented dozens of writing workshops, symposia, and special events, making it one of the premier literary arts organizations in the country. Mario Cuomo and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, along with other guests, will join us for an evening of reminiscence and celebration. We will also screen a film highlighting memorable guests and events from our 25 year history.

Mario Cuomo, one of the great orators and intellectuals of 20th century American politics, served as the 52nd Governor of the State of New York from 1983 to 1994. He has also published several notable books, including political diaries, collections of speeches, and two books on Abraham Lincoln— most recently, Why Lincoln Matters: Today More Than Ever (2004).

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, author of bestsellers about Lyndon Johnson, the Roosevelts, and the Kennedys. Her newest book is Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, a book which, by many accounts, helped shape President Obama’s political philosophy. The Atlantic Monthly said of Team of Rivals, “[Goodwin] has written an enormous book possessed of a friendly grandeur and, against all odds, a considerable freshness.”